Despite all the odds, Catalan giants, FC Barcelona managed to clinch both the LaLiga title and the Copa Del Rey trophy last term – and they were on course to claim a historic treble before an embarrassing exit in the UEFA Champions League dashed their hopes during the campaign.
Once again, under the leadership of newly appointed captain Lionel Messi, the Catalans will come with a mission to sweep all the three trophies this season. The Argentine who assumed the captaincy following the departure of Andres Iniesta recently talked about his desire to help the club to maintain their domestic dominance and also bring the Champions League trophy to Camp Nou this term.
Lionel Messi played influential roles during Barcelona’s treble-winning seasons (2008/2009, 2014/2015), scoring unbelievable numbers of goals and producing magical displays during the decisive moments. Therefore, we take a look at 5 reasons why the Argentine could also lead La Blaugrana to repeat that feat this term.
Incredible Form
It is evident that Lionel Messi has finally put his disappointing FIFA World Cup outing in Russia behind him and he has switched his total focus to helping Barcelona achieve a successful campaign this season.
The Argentine is feeling comfortable wearing the red and blue stripes of Barcelona once again and he has wasted no time in making his impact felt at Camp Nou during the new term. A brilliant performance from the playmaker in the Supercopa de Espana triumph was followed by another scintillating display in which he opened his account for the new season – scoring an amazing brace against Deportivo Alaves last weekend.
Determination
The last time Barcelona won the treble was in 2015, during Luis Enrique’s tenure when the popular ‘MSN’ trio ran riot and delivered the three trophies at the Nou Camp. Ever since then, they have thrived domestically but have been deprived of European glory – failing to progress from the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League in each of the last 3 years.
He is the leader
Lionel Messi became the captain of FC Barcelona after receiving the armband from club legend, Andres Iniesta, who departed the Nou Camp to join Vissel Kobe in the Japanese league this summer – paving the way for a new era at the club.
It is true that the Argentine has been a leader at Barcelona for the past few years, but the captaincy represents a bigger responsibility and a higher level of impact in the Catalan capital. As the leader, the Argentine is in a position where he can have more impact on the team and inspire his mates to fight and deliver success at the Nou Camp.